Kenta Maeda

Kenta Maeda

36-Year-Old PitcherSP
Detroit Tigers
2025 Fantasy Outlook
Maeda had a woeful first season in Detroit. The veteran posted a 6.09 ERA and 1.38 WHIP across 112.1 innings, and the Tigers eventually shifted Maeda into a relief role due to his struggles in the rotation. Age could be catching up to Maeda, as he registered a career-worst 7.69 K/9 last year as a 36-year-old. The righty has a career 9.63 K/9 and was actually above 10.0 a season earlier in Minnesota. It's natural to see pitchers endure some ups and downs if they're not missing as many bats, which translates to a smaller margin for error on the mound. It remains to be seen if Maeda is able to rediscover his swing-and-miss stuff or if he's able to make some adjustments as a pitcher who doesn't generate as many strikeouts. His track record should give him a little leeway heading into 2025, but the Tigers likely won't hesitate to pull the hook if needed, and fantasy managers should be prepared to do the same. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
From Preseason
$Signed a two-year, $24 million contract with the Tigers in November of 2023.
Suffers loss in spot start
PDetroit Tigers
September 29, 2024
Maeda (3-7) took the loss Sunday, allowing five runs on five hits and one walk over 4.2 innings against the White Sox. He struck out five.
ANALYSIS
Maeda, who also hit a batter, struggled in his first start since early July, allowing five runs including a three-run homer by Lenyn Sosa. Maeda finished the regular season with 17 starts among 29 appearances, posting a career-worst 6.09 ERA and 1.38 WHIP, though he compiled a 3.86 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 8.8 K/9 through 42 innings out of the bullpen. As the Tigers prepare for a wild-card matchup with the Astros, Maeda will revert back to a relief role.
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Pitching Stats
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2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
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Pitching Appearances Breakdown
Average Pitch Count
68
Last 10 Games
60
Last 5 Games
40
How many pitches does Kenta Maeda generally throw?
 
1-10
 
11-20
 
21-30
 
31-40
 
41-50
 
51-60
 
61-70
 
71-80
 
81-90
 
91-100
 
101-110
 
111-120
 
121+
 
1-10
 
11-20
 
21-30
 
31-40
 
41-50
 
51-60
 
61-70
 
71-80
 
81-90
 
91-100
 
101-110
 
111-120
 
121+
 
1-10
 
11-20
 
21-30
 
31-40
 
41-50
 
51-60
 
61-70
 
71-80
 
81-90
 
91-100
 
101-110
 
111-120
 
121+
What part of the game does Kenta Maeda generally pitch?
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
3rd
 
 
 
4th
 
 
 
5th
 
 
 
6th
 
 
 
7th
 
 
 
8th
 
 
 
9th
 
Extra
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
3rd
 
 
 
4th
 
 
 
5th
 
 
 
6th
 
 
 
7th
 
 
 
8th
 
 
 
9th
 
Extra
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
3rd
 
 
 
4th
 
 
 
5th
 
 
 
6th
 
 
 
7th
 
 
 
8th
 
 
 
9th
 
Extra
% Games Reaching Innings Threshold
% Games By Number of Innings Pitched
Left/Right Pitching Splits
Since 2022
 
 
-2%
BAA vs LHP
2024
 
 
-4%
BAA vs LHP
2023
 
 
-2%
BAA vs RHP
2022
No Stats
BAA Batters K BB H 2B 3B HR
Since 2022vs Left .258 442 104 35 102 22 1 15
Since 2022vs Right .263 471 109 24 116 25 1 24
2024vs Left .274 233 51 17 57 13 1 9
2024vs Right .286 252 45 14 67 12 0 13
2023vs Left .241 209 53 18 45 9 0 6
2023vs Right .237 219 64 10 49 13 1 11
2022vs Left 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2022vs Right 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
More Splits View More Split Stats
Home/Away Pitching Splits
Since 2022
 
 
-9%
ERA at Home
2024
 
 
-48%
ERA at Home
2023
 
 
-48%
ERA on Road
2022
No Stats
ERA WHIP IP W L SV K/9 BB/9 HR/9
Since 2022Home 4.96 1.26 110.2 6 6 0 8.4 2.2 1.7
Since 2022Away 5.43 1.30 106.0 3 9 0 9.3 2.7 1.5
2024Home 4.39 1.20 65.2 3 3 0 7.9 2.3 1.6
2024Away 8.49 1.63 46.2 0 4 0 7.3 2.7 1.9
2023Home 5.80 1.33 45.0 3 3 0 9.0 2.0 1.8
2023Away 3.03 1.04 59.1 3 5 0 10.9 2.7 1.2
2022Home 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2022Away 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
More Splits View More Split Stats
Stat Review
How does Kenta Maeda compare to other starting pitchers?
This section compares his stats with all starting pitcher seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 120 innings)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.

* Exit Velocity, Barrels/BBE %, Balls Hit 95+ MPH %, and Spin Rate are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 120 IP). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
  • K/BB
    Strikeout to walk ratio.
  • K/9
    Average strikeouts per nine innings.
  • BB/9
    Average walks per nine innings.
  • HR/9
    Average home runs allowed per nine innings.
  • Fastball
    Average fastball velocity.
  • ERA
    Earned run average. The average earned runs allowed per nine innings.
  • WHIP
    Walks plus hits per inning pitched.
  • BABIP
    Batting average on balls in play. Measures how many balls in play against a pitcher go for hits.
  • GB/FB
    Groundball to flyball ratio. The higher the number, the more likely a pitcher is to induce groundballs.
  • Left On Base
    The percentage of base runners that a pitcher strands on base over the course of a season.
  • Exit Velocity
    The speed of the baseball as it comes off the bat, immediately after a batter makes contact.
  • Barrels/BBE
    The percentage of batted ball events resulting in a Barrel. A Barrel is a batted ball with similar exit velocity and launch angle to past ones that led to a minimum .500 batting average and 1.500 slugging percentage.
  • Spin Rate
    Spin Rate is the rate of spin on a baseball after it is released. It is measured in revolutions per minute (rpm).
  • Balls Hit 95+ MPH
    The percentage of batted balls hit that met or exceeded the 95 MPH threshold.
  • Swinging Strike
    The percentage of pitches that result in a swing and a miss.
K/BB
3.10
 
K/9
7.7
 
BB/9
2.5
 
HR/9
1.8
 
Fastball
90.8 mph
 
ERA
6.09
 
WHIP
1.38
 
BABIP
.316
 
GB/FB
0.96
 
Left On Base
60.4%
 
Exit Velocity
81.8 mph
 
Barrels/BBE
4.7%
 
Spin Rate
2131 rpm
 
Balls Hit 95+ MPH
22.7%
 
Swinging Strike
10.7%
 
Advanced Pitching Stats
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Defensive Stats
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Stats Vs Today's Lineup
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
After a slow start in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery, Maeda returned to his prior form and looks set to be a key part of Detroit's rotation after signing a two-year, $24 million contract. Maeda missed the 2022 season after Tommy John surgery and struggled initially in his return with a 9.00 ERA in four April starts. He then missed six weeks with a right triceps strain. Everything clicked when he returned as he had a 3.36 ERA with a 10.5 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 over his next 21 starts. Maeda has limited velocity (90.9 average mph fastball) but keeps hitters off balance with an array of offspeed pitches (splitter, slider, singer, curveball) that were in the 94th percentile combined in Offspeed Run Value, according to Baseball Savant. He can be prone to the long ball (1.47 HR/9) so a move to spacious Comerica Park is a good landing spot.
Maeda missed the 2022 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in September 2021. After dazzling during an 11-start sample in the abbreviated 2020 campaign (2.70 ERA and 0.70 WHIP), Maeda took a big step back (4.66 ERA) in 2021 before suffering the season-ending injury in August. Maeda was able to reach low-90s velocity in September, but did not pitch in any rehab games. He'll have a spot in the Twins rotation if healthy, but he could struggle early since pitchers undergoing Tommy John initially grapple with control. Maeda depends on his outstanding accuracy (4% walk rate in 2021) rather than velocity (below average 91.4 mph in 2022). The Twins are counting on a quick return to his prior top form where at his best in 2021 he limited hard contact (98th percentile hard-hit rate) while inducing strikeouts at a good rate (10.8 K/9).
Maeda will miss most of the 2022 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in September. After dazzling during an 11-start sample in the abbreviated 2020 campaign (2.70 ERA and 0.70 WHIP), Maeda took a big step back in 2021 before suffering the season-ending injury in August. Maeda never looked right from the start of the season as he had a 6.17 ERA in April and saw a drop in fastball velocity (90.5 MPH from 91.4 MPH in 2020) and strikeout rate (career-low 24.9%). Maeda's surgery included the insertion of an internal brace that could help him return as early as June, but a timetable likely won't be known until after Opening Day. A spot awaits him in the Twins rotation if he can return to previous form as he's signed through 2023.
Maeda was brilliant during his first season in Minnesota, going 6-1 with a 2.70 ERA and finishing runner up in the AL Cy Young award voting. He was used exclusively as a starter after shuffling from the bullpen and rotation with the Dodgers. Maeda gave the Twins a true rotation anchor, delivering with outstanding control (4% walk rate) that fueled an AL-leading 0.75 WHIP. He increased the use of his slider to become his primary pitch, which, while effective (.299 wOBA allowed), made his changeup even more devastating (.136 wOBA allowed). Despite below-average fastball velocity (91.4 mph), Maeda's hard-hit rate was in the 98th percentile and he produced a near career-high 10.8 K/9. Maeda looks to have found the right mix with the Minnesota coaching staff and home park. The only question is whether he can remain this effective while holding up over a full season.
For the second straight season, Maeda transitioned to the bullpen in September, excelling with two wins, three saves and three holds. He pitched well as a starter, despite what a bloated 4.11 ERA says. Still, this is two consecutive years Maeda's K% increased while his BB% decreased as a reliever. After being traded to Minnesota, Maeda should be expected to be a starter for most of the year, though the Twins could skip a start here or there. His 26.4 K% and 8.3 BB% as a starter continue to render Maeda above average in the role. Maeda's bread-and-butter pitch remains his splitter, which he used a little more than in the past while also increasing usage of his slider and change at the expense of his two-seamer (which he bagged completely) and 93-mph four-seamer.
Maeda began the season as starter, but finished it in the bullpen. He held opponents to a .233 average as a starter with a 28% strikeout rate, but as a reliever struck out 35% of the hitters he faced while opponents batted .265 against him. The 31 K-BB% out of the bullpen was elite, even if it was only 74 batters faced. Maeda's move to the 'pen was one related to a crowded house more than a degradation of skill, so don't assume his days as a starter are over. Maeda's skills play up in either role -- the lack of clarity around his role should not overly concern you if you are drafting early. The right-hander is a classic example of "draft skills, not role" in his current shape. Either way, you should realize a profit with Maeda as a late-round pick.
Maeda improved slightly upon his strong strikeout and walk rates from his rookie season, but he missed time due to injury and was relegated to the bullpen on a couple of occasions. The Dodgers were also conservative in his starts, limiting Maeda's exposure to opposing lineups -- Maeda threw more than five innings just seven times all year, which led to a 40-inning drop in regular-season workload. Maeda throws five different pitches and he mixes them reasonably well, but he induced fewer swings on pitches out of the strike zone overall (29.9 percent O-Swing rate), struggled on the road (5.62 ERA) and continued to run into trouble against lefties (.263/.322/.458). Perhaps the biggest thing working against Maeda in fantasy is the fact that the Dodgers have evolved past the "workhorse" mentality, instead using the 10-day DL to rotate guys and keep them fresh. The skills are solid, but Maeda's workload will likely be capped once again.
Signed through 2023 for a total of $25 million (plus incentives), Maeda is already looking like one of the great bargains in baseball after his first season stateside. As the calendar turned to July, Maeda sat with a 2.82 ERA, and although he did slip some late in the year, he finished with 16 wins, strong ratios and an average of more than a strikeout per inning. Elbow issues drove his price down last offseason, and while Maeda made 32 regular-season starts, he required additional rest for 19 of them. The Dodgers want Maeda to add mass this offseason with the hope that his body will hold up to a heavier workload (and a more regular schedule) in 2017. Thirty more innings or so, even if they come with some regression with the ratios, could thrust Maeda into elite company among fantasy starters. Best of all, his cost may remain suppressed as the memory of his late-season struggles and injury concerns linger.
Maeda, who was regarded as the top pitcher in Japan, signed an eight-year deal with the Dodgers in the offseason. Comparisons to his most immediate predecessors, Yu Darvish and Masahiro Tanaka, are a bit unfair, as both were historically unprecedented. Maeda probably isn't MLB ace material, as his K/9 rate has never exceeded 8.1, but it has also never fallen below 7.3, and his BB/9 rate has steadily hovered around 1.9. Maeda's success has come from limiting hits, and more recently, keeping the ball in the park. Maeda's fastball sits 89-92 mph with some movement, and it reaches 94 mph on occasion, and he features two variations of a slider. Above all, Maeda has been remarkably durable to this point, throwing at least 175 innings in each of the past seven seasons, but irregularities were found in his elbow during his physical with the Dodgers, which helps explain all the incentives in his contract.
Maeda entered 2014 regarded as the top pitcher in Japan after the departure of Masahiro Tanaka to MLB. While his W-L record declined to 11-9 and his ERA increased to a five-year high, he still had a 2.60 ERA with a 161:41 K:BB ratio in 187 innings. Still, the buzz about him moving to MLB declined and his team decided not to let him leave via the posting in 2015, even though he's said he wants to pitch in the U.S. He could be posted for the 2016 season and he'll be eligible for international free agency in 2017. When Maeda eventually does show up in the majors, fans expecting another Tanaka or Yu Darvish will probably be disappointed. Listed at 6-foot, 179 pounds, Maeda is physically smaller than Japan's recent exports. His arsenal of an 88-94 mph fastball, a slider and a changeup is more respectable than it is eye-popping. On the plus side, Maeda has good control, isn't home-run prone and offers a strong track record of health. He'll certainly be near the top of a big-league rotation when he decides to move to the States.
Maeda is regarded as the second best pitcher in Japan after Masahiro Tanaka. He went 15-7 with a 2.10 ERA and 158:40 K:BB ratio in 175.2 innings last season. When signing his 2014 contract with the Hiroshima Carp, Maeda declared his intent to move to MLB for 2015. He's been a reliable innings eater throughout his NPB career; and features a fastball at 90-94, and breaking pitch that traverses the plane from cutter to slider. He should figure prominently in a 2015 MLB rotation as a result.
More Fantasy News
Starting Sunday vs. White Sox
PDetroit Tigers
September 29, 2024
Maeda is starting Sunday against the White Sox.
ANALYSIS
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Struggles in relief Saturday
PDetroit Tigers
September 15, 2024
Maeda allowed three runs on two hits and a walk across two innings of relief in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Orioles. He struck out two.
ANALYSIS
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Pitches in middle relief Thursday
PDetroit Tigers
September 6, 2024
Maeda struck out one over 1.2 perfect innings out of the bullpen in Thursday's 4-3 win over the Padres.
ANALYSIS
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Earns third win Wednesday
PDetroit Tigers
August 28, 2024
Maeda (3-6) allowed two unearned runs on four hits across 4.1 innings of relief to earn the win in Wednesday's 3-2 victory over the Angels. He walked two and struck out five.
ANALYSIS
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Could work in bulk relief Wednesday
PDetroit Tigers
August 28, 2024
Maeda is expected to be used as a bulk reliever behind opening pitcher Mason Englert in Wednesday's game against the Angels, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
May return to rotation
PDetroit Tigers
July 21, 2024
Tigers manager A.J. Hinch confirmed Sunday that Maeda is "an option" to rejoin the rotation after Reese Olson landed on the injured list with a shoulder strain, reports Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press.
ANALYSIS
Maeda was relegated to the bullpen for his past two appearances and surrendered three earned runs over 5.2 innings, but a depleted Detroit rotation may need him back as a starter. The veteran right-hander is in the midst of the worst year of his eight-year MLB career and has a 7.07 ERA and 1.51 WHIP through 18 outings.
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